BACKGROUND

Our company will develop, in Ethiopia, an oilseeds clusters program to source from contracted out-growers (cluster of farmers, commercial farmers) and oilseeds grains integrators (traders/coops/…) large quantities various oilseeds (sesame, soybeans, sunflower, rapeseeds, groundnuts) to supply its Solvent Extraction Plants.

Key Tasks

• Prospect and identify relevant geographical areas for implantation of the clusters

• Coordinating and supervising the execution of the year on year oilseeds contracting plan from out-growers and the contract signature by all relevant parties with attachment of all supporting documents . Ensuring that the contract copies are dully and timely delivered to all relevant parties.

• Ensuring and supervising the implementation of the advisory service - Pre-harvest, production, harvest and post-harvest follow-up and coaching of contractees  - . Adjusting technical recommendations to client specifications and crop conditions, ensuring and supervising the implementation of package of practices by contractees.

• Supervising and ensuring the timely collection and synchronization of accurate and verifiable oilseeds fields agronomical data– Input usage, crop status & condition, package of practices, yield estimation, harvest quantity and quality etc.

• Coordinating the monitoring system to ensure the respect of post-harvest handling procedures -moisture, admixtures, bagging, storage, pest management etc.- by contractees until delivery to the collection centers

• Supervising and ensuring the execution of the demonstration plan and coordinating the agronomical data collection.

• Planning and ensuring timely delivery of relevant trainings delivery to all subordinates, focal persons and contracted partners - Pre-harvest, production, harvest and post-harvest, marketing etc.-

• Elaborating technical and economic references - Gross Margin Calculation, Profit analysis etc.- for adequate commercial development for his geographical area of coverage and relevant crops -sesame, maize, wheat, malt barley, oilseeds etc.-

• Establishing the information flow -Technical flashes, online groups etc.- and ensuring that all relevant agronomical information -Crop performance, weather forecast, key recommendations etc.- are timely and accurately delivered to management, subordinates, contractees, technical focal persons and relevant parties.

• Supporting the design the demonstration field program, planning its execution and coordinate the data collection and reporting

• Supporting the planning and ensuring the timely delivery of required inputs -seeds, fertilizer, plant protection chemicals- to contracted out-growers/integrators  as per contract and as relevant.

• Supporting the elaboration and the delivery as per schedule of a critical analysis and reports on the contracted fields agronomical conditions

• Supporting the design recommend package of practices based on R&D program and collected data from agro-follow up for each major agroecology

• Supporting the development of the agronomical training content and coordinating the execution of the trainings

• Leading , motivating and training the collaborators, subordinates and partners.

Expected results

• All subordinates have met the year-on-year target of hectarage to be contracted from out growers per oilseeds as per the schedule define (number of contracts/month/oilseeds/subordinates over the defined contracting period).

• All subordinates have met the year-on-year target of oilseeds production and delivery from out growers per oilseeds - in quality and quantity- as per the schedule define (quantity and quality of grains delivered to collection center/month/oilseeds/subordinates over the defined procurement period).

• Timely delivery to all parties of all signed and legally binding contracts with requested supporting documents,

• All demonstration plots have been implemented with the defined package of practices as per yearly plan (number of demonstrations, types, geographical area, package of practice)

• 85% of demonstration fields can be used for capacity building (training, coaching etc.) and promotional purposes (field days, visit by investors, management or local/international authorities etc.)

• The agronomical data collected via ERP have been synchronized by all users following the frequency defined in the SOP (daily, weekly or monthly)

• Reliability and accuracy of the agronomical data collected by subordinates

• Respect of technical flashes and deliverables report frequencies as per defined in SOP (daily, weekly or monthly)

• Improvement of oilseeds crops performance (Yield, quality of the crop) and Gross Margin for contracted clusters year after year

• Minimum % of crop failure due to non-respect of agronomical recommendation (wrong recommendations or non application of recommendations by the contractee)

• Number of trainings delivered and number of contractee trained as per yearly plan

• Technical improvement of subordinates, technical focal persons and partners

• Compliance with all SOPs of Agriculture department.

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Experience:

• 10 years of experience of which at least 5 in the sector relevant to the JD.

Education

• BSC/MSc degree Plant science/Agronomy/Agribusiness and/or related fields

  • Proficiency in English, Amharic and Afan Oromo 

How to Apply

Application instruction

Please title your application with subject line: -"Senior Agronomist - Amhara"

Candidates meeting the above-required qualifications are invited to send their CV through   careers@samanu.com 

Only those applicants who meet the above criteria will be contacted for an interview.

Application deadline: July 29, 2023